Picker stick check for looms



July Il5, 194,7. H,.||0EBER 2,423,887

l PICKER STICK CHECK PQR LOoMs l 'Filed Nov. 16, 1945 '3 Sheets-Sheet l T-I" ......r

llllill IHM I mvsmon rafO/a/Hoeer July l5, 1947. H, HQEBER y* C K, 2,423,887

PICKER STICK CHECK FOR LOOMS' Filed Nov. 1.6, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iffl EEP. i C

58 v ATTORNEYS July l5, 1947- `I-IHOEBER 2,423,887

- PICKER s'rIcx cHEcx Fon Loous :Filed Nov. 16, 1945 3 sheets-sheet s INVENToR ae er Patented July 15, 1947 PICKER STICK CHECK FOR LOOMS Harold Hoeber, South Dartmouth, Mass.; Barbara O. W. Hueber and William T. Read, as executors of said Harold Hoeber, deceased, as- .signors to Textile Research Co., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 16, 1945, Serial No. 629,115

9 Claims.' (Cl. 139-162) This linvention relates to a loom and more particularly t thc check for the picker stick.

In the operation of the picker stick of a loom, it is usual to have some friction device act upon a strap which checks the picker stick. The friction device may be adjusted so as to apply more or less friction upon the strap. In the operation of a loom at high speed the picker stick is moved toward the outer end of its swinging movement with considerable snap and a nonuniform location of the picker stick for receiving the shuttle will be had.

One of the objects of this invention iste provide an arrangement s0 that the 'check strap y which retards the action of the picker stick and in turn the action of the shuttle willfriction the picker stick the same amount each time the stick moves from dead position to the outermost point of its path of travel.

Another object of this invention is to pre-set the position of the check strap so that it will be at the same position every time it is engaged by the shuttle, thus applying the same amount of friction through the travel which it takes.

Another object of this inventiom is to provide an arrangement so that the position of the check strap may be adjusted in a simple and easy manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that the adjustment 'of the position of the check strap may be accomplished during the operation of the loom.

A further object of this invention is to provide anadjusting device at the front of the loom which by simple hand manipulation will serve to adjust the check strap in response to its manipulation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In' the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fragmental .portion of a loom equipped with my improved check strap adjusting means;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of-a fragmental portion of a loom showing in greater detail the adjustment of the checkstrap;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the loom looking down on vtop of the adjusting means and check strap; y

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the hand wheel adjustment means;

Figs. 5-8 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating the relative position of the check strap, picker stick, and crank shaftv which operates the lay;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a. modified attachment of the check strap to the thong;

, Fig. 10 is a section on line IIl--IU of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view of a modified check strap.

In .proceeding with this invention I attach a. thong to the check strap and to a part carried by the lay and so arrange the position of this thong. that it Will be engaged by a member carried by the fixed frame of the loom. The

position of this member will determine the position of the check strap and I arrange to adjust the position of this member so that it will pull upon the thong more or less as th lay reciprocates to the loom frame. By this arrangement the check strap is left completely free to operate during the time that the picker stick is active and yet is positioned a predetermined amount or to a predetermined .point so that the friction on the check strap will act through thesame amount of movement each time it is engaged by the picker stick, thus supplying the same frictional resistance at each operation of the shuttle and determining a more even operation of picker stick and shuttle.

With referenceto the drawing, I0 designates the framework structure of the loom, the upper portion of which in Fig. 1, is broken away to expose the lay II mounted on swords I2 each of which pivots on a rock shaft I3 having a rocker foot I 4 secured thereto `as at I5 and carrying the parallellmotion I6 for the picker stick IT which is reciprocated by the lug strap I8 actuated from the cam mechanism I9 and shaft 2l). The shuttle box designated generally 25 is at one end of the lay II for the reception of the shuttle 2B therein. The picker 21 is mounted at the upper lend of the picker stick I'I, which picker stick is guided in the slot 28, and may engage the cushioning device 29 at the end of the guide in the lay in which the upper end of the picker stick operates.

Depending from the lay I I is a bracket 30 having an arm 3| carrying a 'bolt32which passes through slots 33 in a check strap 34 which forms a, loop as shown in Fig. 3, extending about the picker stick I'I in a generally iiattened elongated shape. Fingers 35 and 36 on one side and 31 on the other side provide a friction device and may be adjusted relative to each other so as to apply 3 driven to throw the shuttle across the loom it engages the inner bite 38 of the loop to move the strap inwardly against the retarding frictional action of the fingers 35, 36 and 31 while when the picker stick is thrown outwardly the outer bite 39 of the strap 34 checks the stick as the portion of the strap which extends through the nngers 35, 36, 31 will apply friction against movement of the check strap in an outer direction. This serves as a check or retardant for the motion of the picker stick after driving the shuttle across the loom and also a retardant for the shuttle which engages the stick as it enters the box and moves the stick outwardly ready for an-v other power stroke. If the picker stick alone causes movement of the check strap, the strap will not always be positioned at the same point when the shuttle is received in the box and consequently the shuttle may not always be boxed in the same location which is particularly true at high speeds. In order to control the position of the check strap 34 so that it will always be in the same position at the time the shuttle enters the box to engage the picker stick and thus a more uniform boxing will be had, I have attached a flexible member or thong 40 to the check strap by carrying it about the check strap and securing it by bolt 32 while the other end of this thong 46 is secured to a bracket 42 which is secured to the lay by means of the arm 43 (see Fig. 1) which extends underneath the lay l l. In Fig. 3 the thong 40 folthe check strap I have mounted a two pronged.

member 46 in a position to be engaged by the thong as the lay swings rearwardly through the back center of the crank shaft which operates the lay. The prongs have outwardly directed surfaces to pick up the thong. This member 46 is mounted on an upstanding arm 4l which extends upwardly from the block 48 having a threaded opening 49 therein for the reception of the threaded rod 50 while this block also receives through openings l rods 52 for guiding the Same in its movement. If the member 46 is well forward on the loom, then the thong 40 will be deflected or bowed to a greater extent and pull the check 34 inwardly of the loom. Adjustment of the mem'- ber 46 may be by means of the hand wheel 54 which is readily accessible from the front of the loom and may be adjusted even though the lay is reciprocating.

In order to lock the handl wheel 54 in differoutward position by the heel strap and heel strap spring which latter is fastened to the parallel I4 while the strap is fastened to the lower part of picker stick I'I. As the lay moves from back center to front center the shuttle'will be boxing in the rlght-handbox Ibut our interest is in the left- Adll ent desired positions the bracket 60 which supports it is provided with a pair of recesses 6| in which there is located spring 62 which press outwardly balls 63. The hub 64 of the' hand wheel 54 is provided with a plurality `of recesses which are a portion of a sphere and adapted to receive balls 63. Thus, after the wheel has been moved to any desired position the balls wil1 snap into one of the recesses and hold the wheel in this position so that the jar of the loom due to the reciprocation of the lay will not change the adjustment of the member 46 which engages the thong 40. With the shuttle in the left-hand box and the loom at front center, as the lay goes towards back center hand picker stick and check strap. As the lay moves from back center to front center the picker stick is being urged outward from the loom side by the heel strap. The thong 46 is free from 46. At some point before the stick reaches cushion 29 itwill meet the outer bite 39 of the check strap. Having done so it will urge the bite 39 outward from the loomside by moving the check strap through the frictional fingers 35, 36 and 3l. The amount of kinetic energy imparted to the outward movement of the picker stick will depend on the checking action of the strap on the inward movement of the stick, the resilience with which it leaves the picker stick bumper, the amount of pull exerted by the heel strap, the resistance the shuttle offers to being pickedout of the box and a number of other factors, such as the height of the lay strap and its sweep and the speed of the loom. For any one setting of the loom parts and for any one speed of the loom there are variables present from pick to pick. Also in a so-called loose box operation of a loom very little check strap action is needed to box the shuttle but at the same time the returning picker stick has more kinetic energy due to the lower resistance of the outgoing shuttle. Therefore as the loom travels from back center to front center and the picker stick is urged outwardly by the factors described above it will be brought to rest by the check strap at a position that is by no means constant and uniform. Now as the loom goes from front center to back center the shuttle is being picked out of the right-hand box and as the loom approaches back center and the shuttle is again approaching half way between boxes the thong 40 will be engaged by 4'6 and check strap 34 which this time encloses the dead stick Il will as the loom goes through back center be positioned tor/,a predetermined desirable point through the adjustable setting of 46. Then as the loom moves from back center to front center the picker stick and enclosing check strap will be again out of contact or control by 46 but will be set at a uniform predetermined favorable position to receive, through the picker, the shuttle and to absorb its kinetic energy so that it will box satisfactorily. The lay goes through back center twice after the shuttle has been thrown and before it reenters the same box. The' first time 46 sets the strap 34 but not the stick; the second time it sets the strap and also the now dead stick. Then the incoming shuttle enters the box.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated diagrammatically the lay l l as attached to the pitman 55 with the crank 56 on crank shaft 51 so positioned that'it is just about to pass through back center, member. 46

is engaging the thong 40 so that the check 34 will shown in Fig. 6, the shuttle 26 will be approaching The left-hand picker thong 40 has left the member 46 and when the shuttle engages the picker on the picker stick, the check will be entirely free of the member 46 and will function in a normal manner to check the energy of thepicker stick which has been imparted to it by the shuttle and will keep' the picker stick in its outermost position so that it will not rebound after hitting the cushioning device 29. The position of the check strap 34 when the shuttle is boxed is shown in Fig. 7 and at this point the thong 40 will be substantially straightened out and the picker stick will be at its outermost position in the lay. In Fig. 8 I have illustrated the shuttle 2B after leavingv the box with the picker stick l1 at the inner bite of the check 34 after the check has functioned through the friction 6 ed with reference to the frame and having a swinging picker stick carried thereby, a exi-ble for moving said check, said parts being engageable during a, portion of the movement of the layy check formingv a bight for engagement by said stick and mounted for movement with the lay, a friction device engaging said check for retarding movement of said check by said stick and means comprising a part fixed to said frame and a part stick and mounted for movement with the lay,` a

fingers 35, 36, and 31 with the check entirely free j In Fig. 1l I have shown a check strap 34' whichl instead of a closed loop as heretofore referred to is open at its inner side. Heretofore this inner portion of the-check strap loop was engaged by the picker stick and caused movement of the check strap into a position to be engaged by the stick as the shuttle was boxed but now that a thong 40' and a member 46 are provided to accomplish this positioning, there is no need to provide-the check strap-in a closed loop form and the inner portion may be omitted.

I claim: .v

l. In a loom, a frame, a lay reciprocally mounted with reference to the frame and 'having a swinging picker stick carried thereby, a flexible check forming a bight for engagement by said stick and mounted for movement with the lay, a friction device engaging said check for retarding movementof said check by said stick and means comprising a part fixed with reference to said frame and a part for moving said check for setting said check in response to the lreciprocation of the lay.

2. In a loom, a frame, a lay reciprocally mounted with reference to the frame and having va.

swinging picker stick carried thereby, a :flexible friction device engaging said check for retarding movement of said check by said stick and means operable during the portion of the movement of the lay when the picker stick is inactive to position the check with reference to the lay. l

5. A loom as setforth in claim 4 wherein said check positioning means comprises a flexible thong attached thereto vand a member fixed to the frame.

6. A loom as set forth in claim 4 wherein said check positioning means comprises a flexible thong attached thereto and an adjustable member xed to the frame.

7. A loom as set forth in c1aim3 wherein said part attached to said frame is adjustable.

8. A loom as set forth in claim 3 wherein said part attached to said frame is adjustable by a hand wheel at the forward part of the loom.

9. In a loom, a frame having` a crank shaft, a

vlay operable by the crank shaft, said lay having and in turn the shuttle as received in said box.

1 HAROLD Homann.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

